The Mission Briefing: Operation Declassified!
by Papa Bear Awards
Summary: The truth is coming out at last... but not without some hiccups for the team and the Papa Bear Awards! Nominations are in!
1. A Fairy-Tale Come True

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**Papa Bear Awards 2015:**

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**OPERATION DECLASSIFIED!**

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"_... and our breaking news this morning: recently declassified files in Washington indicate that the controversial World War Two TV-show from the sixties 'Hogan's Heroes' was actually based on a real life espionage unit stationed in the heart of Germany at the time. Stay tuned to the Washington News Network for all the details."_

One of those intrusive advertising voices took over, and Meghan buried her head deeper in her pillow. It was beyond her why her friend, cousin and room-mate always turned on the news channel the moment she got up. It was bearable as long as they both had to get up. But on New Year's Day, after a party that lasted into the early hours of morning? Couldn't she for once start the day without knowing what had...

Suddenly the newslady's announcement penetrated her foggy brain and she sat up with a jerk. "Katie!"

"What?" Katie was in the process of making tea.

"What that newswoman said..." Meghan seemed almost dazed.

Katie raised her eyebrows. "Yeah?"

"Didn't you _hear_?"

"I wasn't really listening, no."

She got an exasperated glare, but Meghan had other things on her mind right now than an accusing, _"Then why do you insist on turning it on every morning if you're not listening anyway?"_ Instead, she gushed, "It's Hogan's Heroes – _Grandpa's_ Heroes! It's true!"

"What?!" Katie's head swivelled towards the TV set, but there was only some silly ad for toiletpaper on. "But... didn't they always say...?"

"Exactly." Meghan put on her robe and plonked down in front of the TV. "So let's find out."

* * *

><p>It was still several minutes before the annoying advertising people made way for the regular news programme again – minutes Katie used to provide them both with a fortifying mug of tea. But at last, the deep, euphonious male voice cut into the advertising nonsense with his standard announcement, <em>"The Washington News Network – the Truth, Brought to You."<em> There was a short blast of trumpets, and then the anchorlady of the programme came on screen.

"_Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and happy 2015,"_ she smiled. _"And we start the new year with a remarkable story: a fairy-tale that suddenly turns out to be reality: the sixties' TV-show 'Hogan's Heroes'..."_

The screen cut to the boisterous opening tune with its familiar images of barbed wire in the moonlight, stern guards operating a searchlight and prisoners lined up in front of wooden barracks.

"_Hogan's Heroes,"_ the lady intoned, _"Was the first comedy to be made based on World War Two. It followed the adventures of an international group of prisoners-of-war in a POW-camp in Nazi Germany, where they operated a sabotage and espionage unit right under the nose of their captors, and helped hundreds of shot-down flyers to escape back to England to rejoin the fight. From the start, the show has been rather controversial, with people pointing out that it was in bad taste to portray the Nazis as stupid fools, and make light of such a horrid war. _

_Seventy years after the war ended, and fifty years after the popular TV-show first aired, the army has now declassified a number of files that surprisingly prove that Colonel Hogan's little band of saboteurs was not the product of some crazy Hollywood producer. No – Colonel Robert E. Hogan and his band of saboteurs were for real!"_

Katie and Meghan looked at each other in triumph.

"Told you!" Meghan said.

Meanwhile, the TV was showing some army big shot on a press conference. _"The rules state, that information about secret operations in war time need to remain classified for at least seventy years, to avoid any chance of repercussion on the people involved,"_ the man rasped. _"Considering that all the protagonists and antagonists involved in this operation have passed away by now, the army has decided to bring the facts about this little undercover unit in the open, so that their families may finally know that their loved ones were not cowed prisoners who never managed a single successful escape – no, instead they were ordered to stay put in that camp, in order to keep a valuable Allied espionage unit alive." _The man took a deep breath._ "Colonel Robert E. Hogan from Bridgeport, Connecticut, together with Staff Sergeant James I. Kinchloe, Tech Sergeant Andrew J. Carter, Sergeant Richard G. Baker, the British Corporal Peter Newkirk and the French resistance fighter Louis LeBeau formed the core of a highly successful sabotage and espionage unit in the heart of the Third Reich. Posing as prisoners-of-war, they were under direct orders from Allied Headquarters in London, and committed numerous acts of sabotage and espionage right under the nose of their Nazi jailors. Additionally, they ran what they called 'a travellers' aid society', in outfitting escapees and downed flyers with everything they needed to make a successful escape back to England. In order to protect the set-up, they and their fellow POWs in the camp were ordered to stay put and never escape themselves. Due to the highly sensitive nature of their work, this smokescreen had to be kept up even after the war ended, to protect the core group from reprisals. We imagine this has been difficult with their families, but the truth is, that every man who was ever held prisoner in Stalag 13 played a part in this successful unit. We have always been extremely proud of these men, and we hope that finally, their families may feel the same."_

"_General,"_ came a question from the audience. _"If this operation was so hush-hush, why didn't you stop it when they wanted to make TV-show out of it?"_

"_Good question,"_ the big shot nodded. _"The fact is, that one of the people behind the TV-show had a personal connection with Stalag 13. So he was sworn to secrecy as much as anyone else. When they came to us to ask permission to produce this show based on the goings-on in a prison camp – an idea that originally had been born without any reference to Stalag 13 – we granted them that permission on one condition: that the show would be so over the top that no one would believe it to be true. And considering that no one indeed took the show seriously, they have done that admirably indeed."_

"_But why did you give them that permission, when the people involved with the real Stalag 13 were still not allowed to talk about their experiences?"_ the journalist insisted.

"_Humanity,"_ the general admitted. _"These guys had sacrificed so much – over the top or not, the show was meant to recognize their contribution, even if we could not say so out loud."_

The image went back to the newsroom. _"With me here,"_ the newslady said, _"Is Mr. Robert J. Hogan – son of the illustrious commander of this secret unit. Mr. Hogan, what was your reaction when you first heard the news?"_

"That's uncle Rob!" Katie shouted, and moved a bit closer to the TV.

"_Well, I can't say I was surprised,"_ the grey-haired man on TV said with a bit of a smirk. _"Whenever we kids asked about the prison camp, he was always regaling us with stories how they tricked the guards and the Kommandant. But anyone knowing my father could have known that this was just the top of the iceberg."_

"_So your father talked openly about his experiences in the camp?"_

"_That's how it seemed,"_ Uncle Rob pointed out. _"But hearing all this, he must have held back an awful lot. They probably thought that would be the easiest strategy to keep their sworn secrecy."_

The newslady raised an eyebrow. _"They?"_

"_Yes, my father and the men working with him at the time - these guys the general mentioned. They remained close friends all their lives, and tried to meet up at least every few years. We never really thought much of it – they were just Dad's buddies from the prison camp. But looking back, there were hints indeed that they were more than just casual buddies. More like people who'd been through a lot together."_

"_Do you look at your father differently now that you know what he did in the war?"_

Uncle Rob seemed to consider that, but shook his head. _"No. Not really. He's done an awful lot in his life that would get anyone's admiration. This news is just a bonus package on top of everything else. And I wouldn't be surprised if the family of his friends feel just the same."_

"_Thank you, Mr. Hogan."_ The newslady turned back to her audience. _"One thing is for sure," she said. "People will be watching the TV-show Hogan's Heroes with completely new eyes. If, as the general says, it shows us just an over-the-top version of what really happened, then what was it that really happened? Stay tuned for a thorough analysis of one of the episodes by a renowned military specialist."_

"So!" Meghan declared. "Are we going to sit here and watch that, or are we going to do our own research?"

"What research?" Katie asked.

Meghan rolled her eyes. "You heard the man – it was all for real! And it's been declassified! Aren't you the least bit curious what our greatgrandfathers were up to at the time? Let's find out!"

"How?"

"By doing what we should have done ages ago when we first read about it." Meghan got up and started to get dressed. "We're going to the National Museum and find that file with all the documents that they had in the Mary Sue Experiments."

Katie frowned. "I don't think I want to be whisked back in time by that magic device."

"Neither do I. But that doesn't mean we can't look at the other things in that file. Besides – the last we heard, the device was safely elsewhere. So are you coming or not? We can grab some breakfast on the way."

"Okay." Katie sighed. "For the honour of our greatgrandfathers then..."

* * *

><p>.<p>

_Author's note: Stay tuned – the nomination round for the 2015 Papa Bear Awards election is likely to kick off within 24 hours!_


	2. A Visit to the Museum

It wasn't long before they headed off the campus grounds, got a doughnut and a cup of cheap coffee in some sidewalk café, and headed towards the nearest Underground stop.

"Hey, look!" Katie was checking her messages on her smartphone while they were walking. "They've already got the first intro to the PBA up. That's going to be fun. You know, we really should post our stories there, too. I'd like to have the extra excitement of having own work out there in the election."

"Maybe next year," Meghan mumbled with her mouth full. "Now that we know it's all real, you bet we can write even better stories. After all, we've got inside information, haven't we."

"Pity we never got to meet the great Colonel Hogan ourselves though. Why did he have to die so young?"

Meghan smirked. "Hey, he was nearly 90 when he died. Or something like that. But I would have liked to meet him and talk to him, yes. Especially now that his work has been declassified. Think of the inside info we could have gotten from him – our own greatgrandfather!"

"Actually, I have met my other greatgrandfather. There's a picture of it. But I was only like one or two years old when he died."

Meghan sighed. "Same here. But I wonder how much Uncle Rob knows. Or our own grandparents."

A shrug. "You heard what he said. But it'd be fun nonetheless even to hear those stories about fooling the guards."

"Maybe we can get them to watch the show with us, and see what they remember. You never know what it might trigger in the unconscious mind."

"Good plan." With that, Meghan and Katie headed into the tunnels of the Underground. It was surprisingly busy, even for New Year's Day, and they were glad to get out again at the stop near the National Museum. They threw their empty coffee mugs in the trash together with the remains of the not so tasty doughnuts, and went up the monumental stairs to the National Museum.

"I'll do the talking, okay?" Meghan decided. And in they went, to find the information desk.

"Good morning," Meghan started off. "And happy new year."

"My, you're in early," the lady behind the desk smiled. "Well, what can I do for you?"

"Our greatgrandfather was in the army during World War Two, and as students of history, we'd like to see the file on his exploits. For the research for our dissertation. We've been told it's file number 087 67 07."

Surprisingly, the lady's eyebrows shut up to her hairline. "Did you say _087 67 07_?!"

Katie and Meghan looked at each other. "Yes. That's the one. Is there a problem?"

The lady gulped. "Well... maybe. Are you absolutely certain that this is the file you need? You didn't get the digits mixed up?"

"No." Meghan looked a little miffed. "Of course we didn't get the digits mixed up. When we say we need file 087 67 07, then it's file 087 67 07 that we need!"

"Oh... well..." The lady hesitated. "If you just wait a moment, I'll fetch you all the necessary paperwork."

"And the file," Katie insisted.

"Yes. And the file." Another gulp, and the lady disappeared behind a door.

"Absolutely paranoid," Meghan proclaimed. "And that all because of a bunch of silly fanfic authors who haunted this place years ago. Surely they don't expect us to...?"

But there was the lady back. "If you please fill out these forms. And then read through this disclaimer and if you agree, sign at the bottom?"

It was Katie's turn to raise her eyebrows. "Just to get a look at a file?"

"Yes." The woman looked away. "If you insist on seeing this file, then this paperwork has to be filled out. Museum policy."

"Oh well." The two girls dug out a pen each and started filling out the form: name, address, phone number, next of kin... Next of kin? Oh well, why not. And signed at the bottom.

"Did you read it?" the lady pressed.

"Yes, yes. We just agreed that we're requesting to see this file at our own risk, and the Museum can in no way be held responsible for whatever consequences may occur." Meghan handed her the papers. "Now can we please see that file? I promise we won't eat it."

The lady pulled out a heavy box from under the counter. It didn't look like much, but she seemed quite unwilling to hand it over.

"May we...?" Meghan prompted.

And with a sigh, the box finally placed in her hands. "But please, choose a table where I can keep an eye on you!" the lady urged.

"Sure." And the two girls sauntered off with their treasure to one of the tables in the center of the room.

"Now let's see," Meghan said as she carefully opened the box, with their backs turned to the staring lady at the information desk. "There's a lot of paperwork in there. Maybe Colonel Hogan's own report? Let's look at that first."

They pulled out the papers. There was actually an old yellowed photo on top – of five men in front of a rickety wooden barracks.

"That must be Colonel Hogan," Katie pointed out. "And this must be my other greatgrandfather James Kinchloe."

"And going by the pictures, I guess this is my greatgrandfather Carter."

"And the little one of course must be LeBeau, and the one in blue must be Newkirk. You know, they cast them pretty well on the show, didn't they – they really look alike!"

"Yeah..." Meghan had already opened the bulging folder with papers. And chuckled. "Look – there is even the report on the Mary Sue Experiments. No wonder that folder is bulging."

"You mean Colonel Hogan wrote a report on that?"

"Must have." Meghan shrugged. "Why else would it be in here?"

"I thought maybe the CIA people put it there, once they had debriefed those authors. Or something."

"Whatever." Meghan leafed through the stack of papers, recognizing the crazy events as she scanned the pages. But Katie quickly lost interest, and started to explore the other items in the box. There was a chip of goldpainted brick in there. A disconnected listening device. A wooden spoon. A thumbed deck of cards. A bunny made out of heavy dark grey clay. A little box with a note in red saying, "Keep out! Do not open!"

She grinned. "Look. I wonder what's in there. I thought the whole thing was supposed to be declassified?"

Meghan glanced over, and shared her grin. "Maybe a note like that works on men, but not on us inquisitive women, right? Let's open it. If they really didn't want people to see it, they would have locked it up elsewhere."

But opening that box was easier said than done. The snap was both finicky and stuck, and it took a lot of determined fiddling to get it to snap open – and open it did!

"Watch out!"

They both reached out to grab the item flying through the air, to prevent it from falling on the ground or on the table and get damaged... when suddenly a quickly fading shriek penetrated the chaos, and the next thing they knew, everything was black.

Or... black?

"Erm... hello?" Meghan called out hesitantly. "Anybody there?"

"Maybe there was a sudden black-out?" Katie shivered.

"In the middle of the day? There was lots of daylight in that room," Meghan scoffed.

"Then maybe..." Katie felt herself turn even paler. "Maybe a terrorist plane crashed on top of the Museum..."

Meghan sighed. "Now why would they want to destroy a museum..."

"Well, if they were aiming for the White House, and..."

"Who was aiming for the White House?"

The girls spun around to face that unexpected voice. In the dark light, but a few yards away from them, stood... "Grandpa?!"

Kinch raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"Well, not yet," Meghan babbled nervously. "But later, you're going to be her grandfather. Or rather greatgrandfather. And we're both..."

"Nuts," another voice cut in. "Look, Governor. There's another pair of them. And I had so hoped this folly would be over by now."

The man addressed was doubtlessly the great Colonel Hogan: the dark leather jacket, the brown crush cap, the piercing stare, the face that resembled Uncle Rob's so much...

Katie gulped. "We're sorry. We didn't mean to drop by. It was an accident... I think."

The Colonel sighed. "Alright, spill it. Who are you, and where are you from?"

Meghan took a deep breath. "My name is Meghan Lewis, and this is Katie Hogan. We're from 2015. And we're... sort of... your greatgrandchildren."

Newkirk's jaw dropped. "Well have I ever...! Blimey, Colonel, have you got some pretty offspring!" He stepped forward and held out his hand. "Welcome! Peter Newkirk is the name."

"Yeah, we know." Meghan sighed.

"You do?"

"Yeah. You see, there's this TV-show from the sixties that was sort of based on your operation – only a fair bit over the top to make sure no one would believe it, in order to keep the secrecy. But now they've declassified all of that, and..."

"Declassified?" The Colonel jumped on that. "When is that?"

"Um... in 2015," a bashful Katie answered.

"That's why we were at the museum – to check out if any new files had been added to the folder," Meghan supplied. "And then..."

"Let me guess." Hogan sighed. "You found some mysterious thingamajig, and before you knew what happened, you found yourselves down here in some strange tunnel."

"Well, not quite," Meghan corrected him. "There was this little box that we tried to open, and then something fell out and we tried to catch it before it fell. I never really got to see what it was. Did you?" she turned to Katie.

But Katie, too, shook her head.

"Must have been the bloody time travel device," Newkirk muttered.

"So how do we get back?" Meghan asked. "I believe you guys have your own version of the thing, right?"

"No, we don't. It's being kept safely in London," Colonel Hogan trashed their hopes. "We can't risk the Krauts getting their hands on it again. Besides, it had been rather quiet in Mary Sue Land lately, so..." A sigh. "So what are we going to do with you until London gets a plane through?"

"You know, Colonel," Kinch spoke up quietly. "Maybe they could lend us a hand with the Papa Bear Awards."

The girls looked at each other. "The Papa Bear Awards? You mean you know what that is?"

"Of course we do. We participate every year," Hogan said. "Well, it seems like as good an idea as any. Kinch, has London called in yet with all the info?"

"Negative, sir. I was down here waiting for their call when I heard these two intruders in the tunnels."

"Right. Then you two stay with Kinch. He'll tell you what to do." He gave them a stern frown. "And no monkey business, understood, ladies?"

"Yes, sir," the girls mumbled demurely.

"Good. Then let's get back to the radio room. London is likely to call in any moment now to schedule the drop of the stories. I want you two on hand to help distribute them among the men."

Indeed, they didn't have to wait long.

"_Goldilocks calling Papa Bear. Come in, Papa Bear."_

Meghan nudged Katie, and they exchanged an excited glance. It was real – really real! And they were witnessing it up close!

"Papa Bear here, Goldilocks. Go ahead," Kinch meanwhile said in the mike.

"_Package will be dropped at Y 14, 2300 hours. __**Deadline: February 13**__**th**__. Please acknowledge."_

"Y 14, 2300 hours, deadline February 13th."

"_Affirmative. Did you find any help to organize the whole thing?"_

"Yes, sir. In fact, they just dropped in on us."

"_Good. Well, enjoy! And make sure you get your nominations in on time."_

"Wilco. Over and out."

An eager Meghan looked up at the Colonel. "Can we come along to pick up that package? Please?"

"No!" was the emphatic reply in Dolby Surround.

* * *

><p>.<p>

_Author's note: While the guys have to go out and brave the dangers of Nazi patrols to retrieve their package with 91 stories to choose from, you can stay right in front of your computer to find all you need to know about this year's Papa Bear Awards! Just go on to the next chapter!_


	3. The PBA for Beginners

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**The PBA for Beginners**

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The Papa Bear Awards is an annual game in which we elect the very best work in Hogan's Heroes fanfiction from the past year. It usually takes place between January and April, and has been around for several years – I believe since 2003.

We have several story categories, but we also elect the best portrayal of characters, the best quotes and the best teasers. Categories and rules have varied a bit over the years, but the basic idea has been the same: to elect and honour quality in Hogan's Heroes fanfiction.

The election process starts with a nominating round. Every HH fanfic author and every HH fanfic reader may nominate his favourites – this year 1 favourite in each category. It's not necessary to have read every story before you nominate – you can just nominate the best from among the stories you've read. And every nomination counts: one nomination is sufficient to continue to the voting round. (Only the most prestigious category "best story of 2014" works a bit different – more about that once we start the game in January.)

When all the nominations are in, they get published. Especially when there are so many stories to choose from as these past years, you may regard it as a very great honour to have your work nominated out of so many others!

Once the nominations are published, the voting round begins. In this round, everyone has 3 votes in each category. But we do ask that you try and read everything nominated in a category before making your decision in that category – for how can you make a well considered decision if you're not acquainted with all the good stuff that others nominated? Regularly, you'll discover some real gems among the nominated work that you had missed during the year!

Of course it's not obligatory to participate in every category. If you are pressed for time, or if for example you don't like a certain category, you can just skip entire categories. As a matter of fact, the whole PBA is not obligatory at all. You can even choose to lurk in the dark, just having your stories out there and see what others think of it!

However, you don't have to feel obliged to stay away from nominating and voting just because you have stories participating this year. The majority of the nominators and voters in the PBA are in this position. As long as you can make an honest decision as to which story is best (and it may not always be your own), you are very welcome to participate. And rest assured: in order to prevent authors from shamelessly promoting their own work, we have a strict rule that authors cannot nominate their own work. Still, if someone else has nominated your work, you are indeed allowed to vote for it in the voting round :-)

Once all the votes are in, they will be tabulated. And the three winners in each category will be awarded a gold, a silver and a bronze Papa Bear Award. (Don't get your hopes up; it's nothing fancy – just a computer made pdf or jpg file :-) And of course the winners will get published in the next edition of The Stalag 13 Gazette here on the site!

* * *

><p>And a few things to keep in mind:<p>

The Papa Bear Awards are just a game.  
>It's not a matter of life or death to win a Papa Bear Award.<p>

Winning a Papa Bear Award will not grant you global fame.  
>But it sure does feel good to know that your fellow HH authors appreciate your writing!<p>

Participating in the Papa Bear Awards is free of charge.  
>You won't win a million dollars with it either.<p>

All HH stories that were completed during 2014 are in the PBA election by default.  
>So you don't have to register to have them participate.<br>(But feel free to tell us if you'd rather not have them participate.)

There is no reason to withdraw your work just because you feel shy.  
>Let others be the judge of your writing<br>And you might just be surprised at their opinion.  
>FYI: every year, there is a fair number of new authors who win awards.<br>Even gold awards!

The number of votes in the voting round are not made public.  
>Thus if your story got nominated, but doesn't get any votes in the voting round<br>You'll never know.  
>Nor will anybody else.<br>So no embarrassment.

With so many stories out there as this year  
>It really is a great honour to get your work nominated out of so many others.<br>Even if you don't win an award.

And if you don't get anything nominated  
>Look around at the fierce competition and you'll know there's no reason to feel bad.<br>Just concentrate on the positive reviews you got for your work  
>And don't be discouraged: keep writing!<p>

There is no reason to suddenly hurry your stories to an end.  
>It's fairly certain that there will be another PBA next year for you to participate in.<p>

The Papa Bear Awards is an election of the best fanfiction work.  
>It's about the quality of writing.<br>It's not a contest to see who has the most friends.

If you'd like to check out the winners of the earlier editions of the PBA  
>You can find links to them in the Communities here on ffnet.<br>Just click on the "Communities" link in the top righthand corner of the main HH story page.

The Papa Bear Awards are organized by HH fanfic authors and readers just like you.  
>We dedicate a lot of time to it<br>And have a lot of fun doing it  
>But we don't make any money with it.<p>

And remember:

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

We're only a PM or an email away!


	4. Going through the Catalogue

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**List of This Year's Categories**

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A little overview of this year's categories,  
>with links to the lists of their eligible stories:<p>

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**Best story of 2014  
><strong>The ultimate honour!  
><em>(Note: slash and crossover stories are not eligible here)<em>

_._

**Best snapshot  
><strong>The best story told in less than 1,000 words!

.

**Best short story  
><strong>(3 categories: **short comedy, short drama, short general story**)  
>The best stories told in 1000 – 5000 words!<p>

.

**Best long story  
><strong>(only 1 category this year!)  
>The best stories that took more than 5000 words to tell!<p>

.

**Best story based on an actual episode of the series**

**.**

**Best story based on a challenge**

**.**

**Most unique story**  
>A story with a unique plot twist, unusual writing style,<br>or one that is simply just strange and different and… well… unique!  
>You've never read anything like it!<p>

.

**Best poem, filk or songfic **

**.**

**Best crossover story**

**.**

**Best slash story  
><strong>_Note: due to their small number, the slash stories will not participate in the nominating round this year._  
><em>Instead, they will all go straight to the voting round, where you can pronounce your judgement.<em>

_._

**Best portrayal of a canon character  
><strong>Who portrays the main Hogan's Heroes characters best?  
>This is where you nominate the best portrayal of<br>Hogan, Klink, Schultz, LeBeau, Newkirk, Kinch, Carter, Burkhalter and Hochstetter.

.

**Best portrayal of a canon extra  
><strong>Best character performance from any other regular or guest character who originates from the original TV-show,  
>ranging from semi main cast member Baker to the merely mentioned Nimrod,<br>from Frau Linkmeyer to Freddy,  
>and from the sergeant of the motorpool to the guy on the back bunk in barracks 2.<p>

.

**Best original character  
><strong>Best original (new) character created for a story that you would have enjoyed seeing in the actual TV-show.

.

**Best portrayal of a visiting crossover character  
><strong>We're trying out a new category:  
>Best portrayal of a character from another show in a Hogan's Heroes crossover.<br>This can be interpreted both as 'portraying the character like s/he is in his/her own show'  
>and as 'portraying a character in such a way that even someone who doesn't know the show where she comes from  
>can see himher as an understandable and well-developed character.

.

**Best teaser**  
>The most tickling teaser or summary that makes you want to read the story right away!<p>

.

**The best quotes**  
>Here you may nominate 3.<br>The most interesting (funniest or moving or silly or so very true or...) line or lines you've come across this year.  
>But: – keep it short (in dialogue max statement - reply - reaction; in descriptive text max three lines (e.g. from capital to period))<br>– and make sure it makes sense even outside its context.

.

* * *

><p><strong>Closing date for nominations: <strong>

_**February 13th, 2015**_


	5. Playing by the Rules

.

The rules in the game of

**THE PAPA BEAR AWARDS 2015**

Now accepting nominations for the stories completed in 2014!

* * *

><p><strong>Basic rule this year: nominate 1, vote for 3!<strong>

So you may nominate 1 favourite in each category. Yes, only 1 this year!

The only exception is the category for *best quote* - there you may still nominate 3.

* * *

><p>– You may nominate a story <span>only once<span> in the story categories . So if story A is both hilarious and unique, you´ll have to take your pick where you think it would do best: the comedy section or the most unique category. You cannot nominate the story in both categories.

_Question: if I nominate my favourite story in (for example) the comedy section, can I still nominate characters, quotes and teasers from that story?_

_Answer: Yes, you can. The restriction of one nomination per story applies __only__ to the story categories (e.g. drama, comedy, general, snapshot, challenge, episode, unique, poetry, slash and crossover). If you like, you could even nominate the teaser and all your quotes and characters from one single story. However, with so many stories to choose from... _:-)

_Question:__ My favourite story is listed as drama, but I would like to nominate it in the general category. Can I do that?_

_Answer:__ Yes, you can. Drama, comedy and general stories are up to you to decide in which of those three categories you think they would fit best. However, snapshots, poetry, crossovers and slash should be nominated in their own respective categories, and the stories that are eligible for the categories episode and challenge are given. _

* * *

><p>- The nomination for *best story of 2014* works a little different. You may nominate 1 story there – the very very best! However, it depends on the overall number of nominations the story receives whether or not it will go to the voting round for *best story of 2014*. See <span>FAQ<span>.

Only in this category are you allowed to nominate a story you have nominated elsewhere as well (for example in best drama or based on an episode).

Mind you, crossover stories and slash stories are not eligible for *best story of 2014*.

* * *

><p>– The best quote: this is the only category where you may nominate 3! But there are two strict rules to go by:<p>

1) keep it short (in dialogue max statement - reply - reaction; in descriptive text max 3 lines (e.g. from capital to period)

2) it must make sense even outside its context.

Failing these two basic rules, the nomination will be refused. If there is still time, the nominator may send in another quote instead.

* * *

><p>– You are free to skip nominatingvoting in categories you're not interested in.

– No nominations of your own work in any category! Once your work has been nominated by someone else, you will be allowed to vote for it in the second round. But _nominating_ your own work is VERBOTEN.

* * *

><p>– Nominations have to be signed with your name, your email address and – if you have one – your ffnet pen name. The honour system applies!<p>

– Nominations have to be in no later than **Friday, February 13th, 2015**, and the only way to send them in is by ffnet PM to Papa Bear Awards, or by email to papabearawards at yahoo dot com.

* * *

><p>- In case a story gets nominated in more than 2 story categories (not counting the *best story of 2014*), the author will be contacted to decide in which story categories this story will be competing in the voting round. If the author does not reply with a decision within a week, the PBA committee will make the decision instead.<p>

- Continued from last year: the categories for short and long drama, comedy and general stories are going to be exclusive. This means a story can only compete in *either* drama, *or* comedy, *or* general story. In case the nominators don't agree on where the story belongs, the author will be asked to choose in which category this story will be competing. If the author does not reply with a decision within a week, the PBA committee will make the decision instead.

Note: a story going to the voting round in both drama and comedy, or comedy and general, or general and drama is hereby no longer permitted. There is however no problem with combinations like drama/challenge, comedy/unique and general/episode.

– The list of nominees in each category will be published in the days following, and from there on, people will have approximately six weeks to cast their vote: 3 votes in each category. In that round, authors will be allowed to vote for their own work – once someone else has nominated it. This will be explained in more detail when the time has come.

* * *

><p>– And a little reading guide: there is no need whatsoever to have read every story before sending in your nominations! Of course it's laudable to try and read all the stories before making your choice, but for many of us, it's hardly realistic considering the demands of real life.<p>

If you don't have the time to read all the stories before the nomination deadline, just pick out the stories you remember that made a real impression on you, and that in your opinion deserve to go on to the final round. Unless of course you already read them all as soon as they were published. :-)

* * *

><p>– And remember: the purpose of the Papa Bear Awards is to seek out and honour quality writing. It's not a social contest to see who has the most friends!<p>

* * *

><p>– A complete overview of the stories and the categories they've been assigned to can be found on the PBA homepage. They are listed there by category, by word count, and in alphabetical order, with a direct link to each and every one of them.<br>Homepage: **www. konarciq dotnet / fanfiction / PapaBearAwards / index. html**  
>(translate to internet speak and take out the spaces)<p>

* * *

><p>– Note: if you know of any stories missing (perhaps outside ffnet?), please contact us as soon as possible to correct the matter!<p>

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us at papabearawards at yahoo dot com.

* * *

><p><strong>Closing date for nominations: <strong>

_**February 13th, 2015**_


	6. A Million Questions

.

**FAQ**

.

**Q: What is the purpose of the Papa Bear Awards?**

A: The purpose of the Papa Bear Awards is to seek out and give recognition to quality writing, and to acquaint fellow authors and readers with the best work in the fandom of Hogan's Heroes.

* * *

><p><strong>Q: How does the PBA work?<strong>

A: First the authors and readers of Hogan's Heroes fanfiction nominate the works completed during 2014 that they consider to be of outstanding quality. All the nominated work goes to the voting round*, in which both authors and readers decide which works are really the very, very best of this past year.  
>* An exception is the category *best story of 2014*. See <em>Q: How does the nomination for *best story of 2014* work?<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Q: How do I know which stories are eligible?<strong>

A:You can find the complete listings on the PBA website:  
><strong>www. konarciq dotnet  fanfiction / PapaBearAwards / index. html**  
>(translate to internet speak and take out the spaces)<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Q: Where do I send my nominations and votes?<strong>

A: You can send them by email to papabearawards at yahoo dot com, alternatively to Papa Bear Awards by ffnet PM.

* * *

><p><strong>Q: What exactly are those word counts?<strong>

A: Snapshots are stories of less than 1,000 words.  
>Short stories (comedy, drama, general) are between 1,000 and 5,000 words.<br>Long stories (comedy, drama, general) are those that have more than 5,000 words.  
>The other story categories do not have a division by word count.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Q: This story has 5100 words. Can I nominate it for short story? <strong>

A: No, you can't. The division by word count in the categories drama, comedy, general and snapshot is very strict. No exceptions!

* * *

><p><strong>Q: This poem has only 400 words. Can I nominate it as a snapshot?<strong>

A: You could, but due to their special character, poems, filks and songfics should preferably be nominated in their own category, where they compete with works of a similar kind. PBA history has shown that they tend to stand little or no chance in 'normal' story categories. Unless of course you think it to be of such outstanding quality that it merits being nominated as *best story of 2014*!

* * *

><p><strong>Q: Where do I nominate a story that is listed as (for example) friendshiphurt-comfort? There is** **no category for those!**

A: When there is no clear category assignment, the author has left the choice entirely up to you. So you may decide for yourself whether you think it would fit best as comedy, drama, general, unique etc.

* * *

><p><strong>Q: My favourite story has been assigned to drama, but I would like to nominate it in the general<strong> **category. Can I do that?**

A:Yes, you can. Only crossovers and slash stories should be kept within their own category – simply because of their very different nature, their limited audience, and because practice has shown that they don't really stand a chance elsewhere. For the others, the choice is pretty much up to you – although it's advisable to keep the poetry in its own category as well. But for the rest, the given genres of drama, humor, general, family, adventure etc are merely a guideline to help you find your way.  
>Note: we're running a test this year, with having one slash story eligible in the episode category and one crossover story eligible in the challenge category. Their eligibility there is certainly legit; we'll wait and see how they perform there!<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Q: I notice that some of the eligible stories on the list are not marked *complete* on ffnet. How come they are in anyway?<strong>

A: Some authors have reported trouble: ffnet wouldn't let them mark their story or stories as complete. Rest assured that the stories on the list that are not marked as *complete* on ffnet have been double checked with the authors, and are indeed supposed to be complete!

* * *

><p><strong>Q: It says the story <strong>_**Enough is Enough**_** only got completed on January 1****st**** 2015! How come it got into the PBA this year?**

A: Ffnet was having problems around new year's eve, and kept "hiding" newly uploaded chapters for some reason. The author kept trying to reupload the last chapter in order to get it shown properly. However, members of the PBA staff have seen it uploaded in complete form before the turn of the year, and the first reviews for the final chapter clearly show that the story was already uploaded in complete form before the turn of the year. That's why we decided to keep it in, even if the "official" upload date says otherwise.

* * *

><p><strong>Q: What happened to the slash category?<strong>

A: The number of slash stories is so small this year, that the PBA committee has decided to let them all go straight to the voting round. So there will be no nominating slash stories this year, but they will participate in the voting round.

* * *

><p><strong>Q: This story is listed as comedy, general, challenge and episode. That's great! Can I nominate this same story in all four of those categories?<strong>

A: No, you can't. You may nominate one and the same story in only 1 story category. So if you nominate story A in the challenge category, you cannot nominate that same story in episode, general and comedy as well. You need to pick one!  
>The only category where you may nominate the same story for a second time is the category *best story of 2014*. See below for explanation.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Q: If I nominate my favourite story in (for example) the comedy section, can I still nominate characters, quotes and teasers from that story?<strong>

A: Yes, you can. The restriction of one nomination per story applies only to the story categories (e.g. drama, comedy, general, snapshot, challenge, episode, unique, poetry and crossover). If you like, you could even nominate the teaser and all your quotes and characters from one single story. However, with so many stories to choose from... :-)

* * *

><p><strong>Q: I have a story participating in the PBA this year. Is it okay for me to participate in the nominating and voting?<strong>

A: Yes, you are very welcome to participate in the nominating and voting. In fact, most people participating have eligible stories out there. Just make sure you don't nominate your own work!

* * *

><p><strong>Q: How do I nominate my favourite story? <strong>

A: You check the PBA homepage (see address above) to see which stories are eligible this year. Once you've made your decision about what you want to nominate in which category, you can send an email listing your nominations to papabearawards at yahoo dot com. If you want to be sure you include all the necessary information, you can use the template (see next chapter).

* * *

><p><strong>Q: Do I have to read all the stories before I decide on my nominations?<strong>

A: No, you don't. Of course it's laudable to try and read all the stories before making your choice, but with the numbers we tend to have in the PBA these past years, it's hardly realistic. In the nomination round, it's perfectly okay to choose your nominations from among the stories you have read – whether they are 9 or 90.

* * *

><p><strong>Q: Do I have to nominate in every category?<strong>

A: No, you don't. Feel free to skip the categories you're not interested in.

* * *

><p><strong>Q: I'm not interested in crossovers – they tend to be about TV shows I have never seen. Do I have to nominate in that category?<strong>

A: No, you don't have to nominate in every category. You are free to limit yourself to the categories you're interested in.

* * *

><p><strong>Q: How many nominations are needed to go to the voting round?<strong>

A: One nomination is sufficient for a story, character, teaser or quote to go to the voting round. The only exception to this rule is the category *best story of 2014* - see below.

* * *

><p><strong>Q: How does the nomination for *best story of 2014* work?<strong>

A: You can nominate 1 story in our most prestigious category: the *best story of 2014*. This can be a story you nominated in another story category as well – mind you, this is the only category where you are allowed to do that!  
>However, this is also the only category where your nomination does not automatically let the story go to the voting round. That depends on the overall number of nominations the story receives.<br>In short, to go to the voting round in the category *best story of 2014*, a story must:  
>- receive at least 1 nomination in the category *best story of 2014*.<br>- _and_ it must receive nominations from other people in the story and/or character categories.  
>Only the stories that have been nominated by the most people will go on to the voting round for *best story of 2014* - we are aiming at approximately 7 to 10 stories in this category in the voting round.<br>I know it sounds complicated. Rest assured that the complication is limited to our tabulating the nominations. All _you_ need to do is to nominate your absolute favourite story!

* * *

><p><strong>Q: I don't know whether character A was originally a guest character, or whether the author just made him up. Where do I nominate him?<strong>

A: To be on the safe side, you can ask the author, alternatively the PBA staff.

* * *

><p><strong>Q: Can I nominate quotes from my own stories, like we did a few years ago?<strong>

A: No, you can't. That option has been dropped this year. No nominations of your own work are allowed in any category.

* * *

><p><strong>Q: Where do I find good quotes without rereading every story?<strong>

A: An option is to browse through the reviews. Many reviewers mention a particularly good quote from a chapter in their review.

* * *

><p><strong>Q: I'm an author, and I've been contacted that my story has been nominated in three different story categories. And now I have to reject one of them. Why can't my story compete in all three?<strong>

A: In order to prevent having one (or a few) stories dominating the entire PBA like we've had in the past, we now have a rule that a story can only go to the voting round in 2 story categories. (Not counting the *best story of 2014*, so if your story got to the voting round there, too, you might still be competing in three categories!)  
>New this year is that the categories for drama, comedy and general stories are going to be exclusive. No matter if a story got nominated in all three, a story can only compete in *either* drama, *or* comedy, *or* general story. And if they got nominated in for example both comedy and drama, then the author will have to choose, even if that means the story will only go to the voting round in one story category.<br>Combinations of for example drama with challenge, or comedy with unique, or even challenge with unique are certainly permitted. But not drama plus comedy, or comedy plus general, or general plus drama.

* * *

><p><strong>Q: I'm missing a few stories that have been completed this year. Why aren't they eligible?<strong>

A: Three possible reasons.  
>1) The story has been newly edited and reposted, but has already participated in a previous edition of the PBA.<br>2) The author has decided to withdraw this particular story from participation in the PBA.  
>3) If the story has only been published outside ffnet, we may simply have missed it. If that is the case, please let us know ASAP!<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Q: I don't have an ffnet account, but I enjoy reading Hogan's Heroes fanfiction. Can I participate in the nominating and voting of the PBA?<strong>

A: Yes, you can.

* * *

><p><strong>Q: How do I vote?<strong>

A: Once it is time to vote, you will find the instructions here on the site, and on the PBA homepage. For now however, we're just nominating!

* * *

><p><strong>Q: Where do I send my votes?<strong>

A: You can send them by email to papabearawards at yahoo dot com, alternatively by ffnet PM to Papa Bear Awards. You will always receive a confirmation once your votes have been registered. This could take a few days though, so don't worry if you don't get an instant confirmation.

* * *

><p><strong>Q: Do I have to vote in every category?<strong>

A: No, you don't have to vote in every category. If you are pressed for time, or if some categories simply don't interest you, it's perfectly okay to limit yourself to voting in only a few categories. Or even only one.

* * *

><p><strong>Q: My favourite story has been nominated in two categories. Can I vote for that story in both categories?<strong>

A: Yes, you can.

* * *

><p><strong>Q: My own storycharacter/teaser/quote has been nominated. Am I allowed to vote for it now?**

A: Yes, you can vote for your own work, if you are indeed convinced that your work is the best in that category. But be honest about it!

* * *

><p><strong>Q: Do I have to read everything before casting my vote?<strong>

A: In order to make a fair and well–considered decision, it is certainly advisable to have read everything in a category before deciding on your vote in that category.

* * *

><p><strong>Q: Why can't slash stories and crossovers qualify for "best story of 2014"?<strong>

A: The "best overall story" should be accessible and comprehensible for everyone who enjoys Hogan's Heroes – period. We know (and their authors know) by experience that these two genres have a limited audience.  
>Slash stories have the disadvantage that many HH readers (at least according to the posts on the forum and the reviews for slash stories) are not happy with this type of alteration of the canon characters, and they simply refuse to read this type of story.<br>And to understand a crossover, you have to be acquainted with another TV-show, movie, book etc. in order to even begin to comprehend the story.  
>Therefore, we do not consider stories from these genres suitable to perhaps end up being "the best Hogan's Heroes story that every HHfan should read", no matter how good they are.<br>As a side note: in none of the past seven editions of the PBA have stories from these categories made it to the "best overall" category – not even when it was done by direct nomination.

* * *

><p><strong>Q: I would like to help with the PBA organization. Is there anything I can do?<strong>

A: For this year, all tasks have been divided, although we wouldn't mind getting an extra person on the PBA committee. But if you'd like to help next year, just drop us an email, and we'll notify you once the preparations for next year go underway!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us.

.

_Enjoy your reading!_


	7. Why Make it Complicated?

.

How to nominate:

Copy and paste this form into an email or a Word document, complete it, and mail it to:

papabearawards at yahoo dot com

no later than _**Friday, February 13th, 2015.**_

**.**

**Name:**

**ffnet/ao3 pen name: **

**Email address:**

.

**MY NOMINATIONS FOR THE PAPA BEAR AWARDS:**

**Best story of 2014:**

Title:

Author:

**Best snapshot:**

Title:

Author:

**Best short drama:**

Title:

Author:

**Best short comedy:**

Title:

Author:

**Best short general story:**

Title:

Author:

**Best long story:**

Title:

Author:

**Best story based on a challenge:**

Title:

Author:

**Best story based on a TV episode:**

Title:

Author:

**Most unique story:**

Title:

Author:

**Best poem, filk or songfic:**

Title:

Author:

**Best crossover story:**

Title:

Author:

**Best portrayal of a canon character:**

Character:

Story:

Author:

**Best portrayal of a canon extra:**

Character:

Story:

Author:

**Best portrayal of an original character:**

Character:

Story:

Author:

**Best portrayal of a visiting character:**

Character:

Story:

Author:

**Best teaser:**

Teaser:

Story:

Author:

**Best quote:**

(Remember: max statement - reply - reaction in dialogue; or max 3 lines (from capital to period) descriptive text; and it has to make sense even outside of its context!)

Quote:

Said by:

Story:

Author:

.

Quote:

Said by:

Story:

Author:

.

Quote:

Said by:

Story:

Author:

* * *

><p><strong>Closing date for nominations: <strong>

**February 13th, 2015**


	8. Boring

"This is so boring." Meghan sighed, and leaned back against the wall. "I can't understand how your grandfather can stand it - sitting here in the dark all day and all night, waiting for the radio to start talking."

Katie shrugged. "Part of his job, I suppose."

"Which he was only too happy to turn over to us..." Meghan grumbled. "I bet he's reading upstairs and has totally forgotten about us. Have you seen those stories that are in the PBA? Good to totally immerse yourself in. Who'd ever think of a radio when you've got great adventures to read about yourself and your friends?" She let the stool fall back on all four of its legs. "I want to go up there, too. And read. This job is crap."

"We can't," Katie reminded her. "What if Schultz suddenly comes in? Or the Kommandant?"

"We'll..." Meghan's reply was cut short by the radio beeping, and she quickly put on the headset. "Papa Bear to Goldilocks, go ahead."

_"Good day, Papa Bear. We've got another set of nominations to report to you. Do you have pen and paper at the ready?"_

"Sure. Shoot."

_"I beg your pardon?"_

"I mean, go ahead. Sorry."

_"Alright. Well, here we go. Nomination for the best story of 2014..."_

* * *

><p>.<p>

_A/N: Yes, people, don't forget: **tomorrow, Friday the 13th at 23.59.59 Hawaii time** is the deadline to send in your nominations for the Papa Bear Awards. This means that as long as it's still Friday *somewhere* on this planet, you can still send in your favourites. _

_So make sure your favourites are going to make it to the voting round! We've got a viable collection of nominations so far to make a voting round worthwhile, but a little more input would still be beneficial!_


	9. Chapter 10

_._

_Note: Okay, guys, unfortunately I've come down with the flu, so I hope you'll accept a raincheck for the continuation of the story. For now at least – finally – all our nominations, so at the very least you can start celebrating if you got something nominated, and for us others, to start reading and thinking about which stories and characters and everything are going to receive our votes –_

_No later than **Friday, April 3**_**_rd_**_**, 2015 (Good Friday)**  
>at 23.59:59 Hawaii time!<em>

* * *

><p><strong>THE NOMINATED WORKS<strong>

**BEST SNAPSHOT**

**.**

**Forbidden Love**  
>by SamRosinenbomber<p>

**Shoes Make the Man**  
>by ami_ven<p>

**The Wall**  
>by Sgt. Moffitt<p>

**Uff Da**  
>by Book'em Again<p>

* * *

><p><em>.<em>

_Turn over to read about the short drama stories!_


	10. Chapter 11

**.**

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

><p><strong>BEST SHORT DRAMA<strong>

**.**

**A Change of Heart**  
>by Sgt. Hakeswill<p>

**A Honeymoon in Paris**  
>by dust on the wind<p>

**A Respectful Silence**  
>by BradyGirl_12<p>

**Goodbye and Keep Cold**  
>by FloatingPizza<p>

**Loopy**  
>by Belphegor<p>

**Make Peace**  
>by Crystal Rose of Pollux<p>

**Sharing the Past**  
>by Sgt. Moffitt<p>

**The Violins of Autumn**  
>by Belphegor<p>

**Unto Us**  
>by Goldleaf83<p>

* * *

><p><em>.<em>

_Turn over to read about the short comedies!_


	11. Chapter 12

**.**

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

><p><strong>BEST SHORT COMEDY<strong>

**.**

**According to Plan**  
>by Fortune Maiden<p>

**Mirror, Mirror on the Wall**  
>by Snooky-9093<p>

**Officers**  
>by SamRosinenbomber<p>

**The Eierschalensollbruchstellenverursacher**  
>by konarciq<p>

**Will This Kill Me?**  
>by kirin-saga<p>

**Who in the World is Mary Noble?**  
>by konarciq<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

_Turn over to read about the short general stories!_


	12. Chapter 13

**. **

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

><p><strong>BEST SHORT GENERAL STORY<strong>

**.**

**A Bridge Too Near**  
>by Sgt. Moffitt<p>

**A Very Carter Christmas**  
>by Sgt. Moffitt<p>

**Dead Men Tell No Tales**  
>by Goldleaf83<p>

**Fruits and Nuts**  
>by Goldleaf83<p>

**Keeping up Appearances**  
>by Snooky-9093<p>

**The Smell of Disaster**  
>by Fear-Of-The- Cold<p>

**The Wedding Dress**  
>by Sgt. Moffitt<p>

**Three Times Klink Accidentally Saved a Life  
>(and One Time It Was on Purpose)<br>**by YamiTami

* * *

><p><em>.<em>

_Turn over to read about the long stories!_


	13. Chapter 14

**.**

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

><p><strong>BEST LONG STORY<strong>

**.**

**Best Christmas Present Ever**  
>by So-Sings-Nightingales<p>

**Enough is Enough**  
>by Sgt. Moffitt<p>

**Front Lines**  
>by CollieandShire<p>

**Let's Not Tell Anyone about This**  
>by SamRosinenbomber<p>

**Murphy's Law on Steroids**  
>by Papa Bear Awards<p>

**The Great Puzzle**  
>by Aileil<p>

**The King's Speech**  
>by Belphegor<p>

**There's No Place Like Stalag 13**  
>by Goldleaf83<p>

**Unsung Man, Unsung Hero**  
>by Book'em Again<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

_Turn over to read about the stories based on a challenge!_


	14. Chapter 15

**.**

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

><p><strong>BEST STORY BASED ON A CHALLENGE<strong>

**.**

**A Bridge Too Near**  
>by Sgt. Moffitt<p>

**According to Plan**  
>by Fortune Maiden<p>

**Fruits and Nuts**  
>by Goldleaf83<p>

**Loopy**  
>by Belphegor<p>

**Make Peace**  
>by Crystal Rose of Pollux<p>

**Simple Rules**  
>by dust on the wind<p>

**The Smell of Disaster**  
>by Fear-Of-The-Cold<p>

**Who in the World is Mary Noble?**  
>by konarciq<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

_Turn over to read about the stories based on an episode!_


	15. Chapter 16

**. **

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

><p><strong>BEST STORY BASED ON AN EPISODE<strong>

**.**

**A Honeymoon in Paris**  
>by dust on the wind<p>

**Fear of Falling**  
>by dust on the wind<p>

**Talking with Otto**  
>by Book'em Again<p>

**The Wedding Dress**  
>by Sgt. Moffitt<p>

**There's No Place Like Stalag 13**  
>by Goldleaf83<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

_Turn over to read about the most unique stories!_


	16. Chapter 17

**.**

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

><p><strong>MOST UNIQUE STORIES<strong>

.

**A Tale of Two Uniforms**  
>by Snooky-9093<p>

**Any Guide in a Storm**  
>by EJ3<p>

**Enough is Enough**  
>by Sgt. Moffitt<p>

**Fear of Falling**  
>by dust on the wind<p>

**Forbidden Love**  
>by SamRosinenbomber<p>

**Goodbye and Keep Cold**  
>by FloatingPizza<p>

**Postcards**  
>by Partly<p>

**Saving My Universe**  
>by konarciq<p>

**The Eierschalensollbruchstellenverursacher**  
>by konarciq<p>

**The Television**  
>by 80sarcades<p>

**Three Times Klink Accidentally Saved a Life  
>(and One Time It Was on Purpose)<strong>  
>by YamiTami<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

_Turn over to read about the poetry!_


	17. Chapter 18

**.**

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

><p><strong>BEST POEMS, FILKS AND SONGFICS<strong>

.

**A Concept Unknown**  
>by konarciq<p>

**Hochsty the Snowman**  
>by konarciq<p>

**Let it Blow!**  
>by konarciq<p>

**That Klink is Such an Idiot,  
>He Thinks He Can Be General<strong>  
>by Me<p>

**The Guards' Top Secret Morale Booster**  
>by konarciq<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

_Turn over to read about the crossovers!_


	18. Chapter 19

**.**

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

><p><strong>BEST CROSSOVERS<strong>

.

**Bystander**  
>by turbomagnus<p>

**The Violin of Autumn**  
>by Glory1863<p>

**Unscheduled Liberation of Stalag 13**  
>by Susan M.M.<p>

**Wrong Number**  
>by Bits and Pieces<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

_Turn over to read about the slash stories!_


	19. Chapter 20

.

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

><p><strong>BEST SLASH STORY<strong>

.

_Now that the nomination round is over, the small category of the slash stories will join in the game, too. We even got one more entry here to choose from, so even if you thought you had read everything, go and check out the new one (on livejournal) as well before casting your votes!  
>A direct link from the PBA website will be up as soon as I feel a bit better... <em>

.

**Plus Jamais le Front**  
>by Psychoslasher<p>

**Reunion**  
>by BradyGirl_12<p>

**Staff Car Seduction**  
>by Khylara<p>

**Storm Clouds Gathering**  
>by BradyGirl_12<p>

**The Chessmaster Says Checkmate**  
>by booey875<p>

**Warmth**  
>by orphan_account<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

_Turn over to read about the canon characters!_


	20. Chapter 21

**.**

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

><p><strong>BEST PORTRAYAL OF CANON CHARACTERS<strong>

.

**Burkhalter**  
>in<br>_Goodbye and Keep Cold_  
>by FloatingPizza<p>

**Carter**  
>in<br>_A Very Carter Christmas_  
>by Sgt. Moffitt<p>

**Carter**  
>in<br>_Loopy_  
>by Belphegor<p>

**Hogan**  
>in<br>_Front Lines_  
>by CollieandShire<p>

**Hogan **  
>in<br>_There's No Place Like Stalag 13_  
>by Goldleaf83<p>

**Kinch**  
>in<br>_Unsung Man, Unsung Hero_  
>by Book'em Again<p>

**Schultz**  
>in<br>_Enough is Enough_  
>by Sgt. Moffitt<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

_Turn over to read about the canon extras!_


	21. Chapter 22

**.**

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

><p><strong>BEST PORTRAYAL OF CANON EXTRAS<strong>

.

**Frieda Burkhalter**  
>in<br>_The Wedding Dress_  
>by Sgt. Moffitt<p>

**Gretchen Schultz**  
>in<br>_Enough is Enough_  
>by Sgt. Moffitt<p>

**Hercules / Ned**  
>in<br>_Fear of Falling_  
>by dust on the wind<p>

**Marlene Schneider von Heffernick**  
>in<br>_A Honeymoon in Paris_  
>by dust on the wind<p>

**Tiger **  
>in<br>_The Violins of Autumn_  
>by Belphegor<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

_Turn over to read about the original characters!_


	22. Chapter 23

**.**

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

><p><strong>BEST PORTRAYAL OF ORIGINAL CHARACTERS<strong>

.

**Atkins & Dodders**  
>in<br>_Fear of Falling_  
>by dust on the wind<p>

**Blümchen**  
>in<br>_Keeping up Appearances_  
>by Snooky-9093<p>

**Captain K'yrk**  
>in<br>_Alien Nightmare, part II: The Return_  
>by 80sarcades<p>

**Cpl. DeGelleke**  
>in<br>_Officers_  
>by SamRosinenbomber<p>

**Geisler**  
>in<br>_Simple Rules_  
>by dust on the wind<p>

**John Hogan **  
>in<br>_A Stay in Connecticut_  
>by Missy the Least<p>

**John Hogan **  
>in<br>_Unto Us & Dead Men Tell No Tales_  
>by Goldleaf83<p>

**Jürgen **  
>in<br>_A Bridge Too Near_  
>by Sgt. Moffitt<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

_Turn over to read about the visiting crossover characters!_


	23. Chapter 24

**.**

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

><p><strong>BEST PORTRAYAL OF VISITING CROSSOVER CHARACTERS<strong>

.

**Bill & Ted**  
>in<br>_Wrong Number_  
>by Bits and Pieces<p>

**Lt. Columbo**  
>in<br>_Alien Nightmare, part II: The Return_  
>by 80sarcades<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

_Turn over to read about the teasers!_


	24. Chapter 25

**.**

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

><p><strong>BEST TEASERS<strong>

.

**After a bolt of lightning strikes a house two girls are transferred back in time to WWII,  
>where they not only meet Hogan and his men<br>but discover that their time period isn't exactly as fun and adventurous as it seems.**  
><em>Story: Front Lines<br>Author: CollieandShire_

.

**Can you really blame the guy?**  
><em>Story: Enough is Enough<br>Author: Sgt. Moffitt_

.

**Is it a bell? Is it a weapon? Is it a medical instrument? No, it's... what did you call that thing?!**  
><em>Story: The Eierschalensollbruchstellenverursacher<br>Author: konarciq_

.

**It can happen to anybody. Unfortunately.**  
><em>Story: Forbidden Love<br>Author: SamRosinenbomber_

.

**So who do you think you are kidding, Colonel Hogan?  
>(Warning for the Hapless Guard: don't <strong>_**ever**_** sing the words out loud,  
>or it will guarantee you a trip to the Russian front!)<strong>  
><em>Story: The Guards' Top Secret Morale Booster<br>Author: konarciq_

.

**There must have been some magic in that old Gestapo touch...**  
><em>Story: Hochsty the Snowman<br>Author: konarciq_

* * *

><p><em>.<em>

_Turn over to read about the quotes!_


	25. Chapter 26

**.**

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

><p><strong>BEST QUOTES<strong>

.

_And you may vote for as many as you want!_

_Note: the numbers listed are purely to make it easier for you. They have no real value at all._

_If you want to know where the quotes come from, you'll have to visit the PBA website – up soon!_

.

1

A cold dread washed over Colonel Hogan as he realized that he hadn't considered this scenario.  
>His men were on time. All of them.<br>.

2

"And if there's a whole galaxy full of women, as she said..."  
>"Then we'd better hope the chocolate never runs out. If it does, God help us all."<br>.

3

"Are you always this infuriating?"  
>"Oh no, sir. Sometimes I'm asleep."<br>.

4

"Friends are like balloons.  
>When they get too full of themselves, there's nothing like a successful prank to let out some air<br>and bring them back down to earth."  
>.<p>

5

"Got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, if you ask me."  
>"Well, Newkirk, I can't see how that's possible. The other side is the wall."<br>.

6

Grown men did not pout; they frowned in disappointment.  
>And Carter noticed that every single one of them was not-pouting.<br>.

7

"Hogan… there is one favor I'd like to ask of you.  
>After your Patton arrives and before I'm taken to an Allied POW camp,<br>there's one thing I'd like to see. Your tunnel."  
>"I'll tell you what, Kommandant. <em>If<em> Patton comes and _if_ they plan on shipping you out  
>and <em>if<em> I have a tunnel under construction at the time…  
>well, I'll <em>think<em> about showing it to you."  
>.<p>

8

"I felt a volunteer vibe from you. Go get on a civilian suit."  
>"Boy, the way they give orders around here someone's gonna think we're in the army!"<br>.

9

"Instead of saying you're bald, sir, why don't you say you're folically challenged?  
>That has a better ring to it."<br>.

10

"It's no wonder you Germans are losing the war;  
>all you people do is go around <em>inspecting<em> each other."  
>.<p>

11

It started out like every other morning in a POW camp. Really, it did.  
>.<p>

12

It was 2355 on a winter night in Germany (for it was always winter, except when it was not).  
>.<p>

13

"Just think, sir – if your shoes go to the Russian front, you won't have to."  
>.<p>

14

"Leprechauns in Germany, that's like saying the Easter Bunny is Australian!"  
>.<p>

15

"Major, that is my paperwork!"  
>"Find yourself some other paperwork – I have a code to crack."<br>.

16

Parachutes. Dozens of them.  
>They seemed to drift on the wind in absolute silence, slowly, gracefully,<br>like white snow from an ink-black sky.  
>.<p>

17

"Schultz especially is susceptible to bribery with treats:  
>I'm his maître d'Apfelstrudel – he sees nothing when he eats."<br>.

18

"Should be a piece of pie – we've done far crazier things, haven't we?"  
>"You mean 'piece of cake'," Carter corrected him solemnly –<br>only to look around in confusion at the general bout of laughter that followed his words.  
>.<p>

19

"Sir, are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"  
>"That's exactly what I'm thinking."<br>"Great. Would you care to inform the rest of us?"  
>.<p>

20

The legend of the dreaded monster H'rshi terrified children of all ages.  
>In the tale, only the valiant warriors of the Matriarchate stood between the dark foe and the utter destruction of civilization.<br>It was a story passed on to generations of young ones who eventually grew to dismiss such fairy tales as nonsense;  
>after all, monsters didn't exist, and it was just a silly, childish story – wasn't it?<br>.

21

"Well, the U.S. Navy has an old saying, Major."  
>"And that is...?"<br>"A woman in every port. Naturally, the Air Force likes to keep their women in the closet. More efficient that way. Besides, if the closet is large enough for two..."  
>.<p>

22

"What is going on here?" General Burkhalter asked,  
>the jolly smile he wore while looking at Helga quickly dissolving into intense annoyance.<br>Or indigestion. One of the two.  
>.<p>

23

"Who do you think you are kidding, Colonel Hogan,  
>if you think we guards are dumb!<br>We are the ones handling giant killer dogs –  
>you only deal with one angry little Frog!"<br>.

24

"You have drenched me with ice water; thrown me off a plane;  
>convinced me I was psychic and a great painter when I am neither;<br>kidnapped me; gotten me thrown into a Parisian jail on my vacation; waltzed off with my dates;  
>made a fool of me one thousand ninety-five times over;<br>put me at the risk of death or the Russian Front at least once a week since you became my charge;  
>stolen my clothes, my cigars, my Schnapps,<br>and you have never, ever, let me down."  
>.<p>

25

"You're out of regulation, Corporal. And out of fashion. Shave off those sideburns."

* * *

><p><em>.<em>

_And now – finally – on to the most prestigious category of all: the best story of 2014...  
>A category where fierce competition reigned among the nominated stories in order to qualify.<br>Eight stories finally made it..._

_Go check them out!_


	26. Chapter 27

.

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

><p>And the best for last: the stories that were nominated AND qualified<br>to compete for the ultimate honour of

.

**BEST STORY OF 2014!**

.

**Enough is Enough**  
>by Sgt. Moffitt<p>

.

**Fear of Falling**  
>by dust on the wind<p>

.

**Goodbye and Keep Cold**  
>by FloatingPizza<p>

.

**Loopy**  
>by Belphegor<p>

.

**The King's Speech**  
>by Belphegor<p>

.

**The Violins of Autumn**  
>by Belphegor<p>

.

**There's No Place Like Stalag 13**  
>by Goldleaf83<p>

.

**Unsung Man, Unsung Hero**  
>by Book'em Again<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

Four more stories were nominated for Best Story of 2014, and all of them unfortunately remained only 1 secondary nomination short by other nominators to make it to the voting round. Their authors however will be informed – because whether your story in the end qualified or not, it's still an honour to be _nominated_ for best story of 2014, isn't it?  
>At least all these four stories were nominated elsewhere, too, so their fans can still vote for them!<p>

_Read on to learn about this year's voting - with 3 votes in each category!_

.

But first a solid round of applause for Sgt. Moffitt,  
>who did a great job on the double checking!<p>

**Thank you for a terrific job, Sgt. Moffitt!**

.

And also a round of applause already for the members of the PBA committee:  
><strong>Book'em Again, Sgt. Moffitt and Snooky-9093<strong>  
>It's been fairly quiet on the PBA front so far,<br>but the job isn't finished yet...


	27. Chapter 28

.

And then it's time for voting!

.

Remember, you have **3 votes** in every category!

* * *

><p><em>How does it work to have 3 votes in each category?<br>An example with non-existent stories:_

_._

_Nominated:_

_Hogan's Dog_

_Carter's Rabbit_

_Klink's Mouse_

_Schultz's Cow_

_Newkirk's Monkey_

_Kinch's Gopher_

_LeBeau's Cat_

_._

_Voter A just loves all these stories, but having to choose three, he gives 1 vote to Carter's Rabbit, 1 vote to Kinch's Gopher, and 1 vote to Klink's Mouse._

_Voter B is very particular that Hogan's Dog is the best story. So he decides to give Hogan's Dog his vote, and doesn't use his other 2 votes._

_Voter C thinks Newkirk's Monkey and Schultz's Cow are by far the best - the rest are definitely of less quality. So he gives 1 vote to Newkirk's Monkey, and 1 vote to Schultz's Cow, and doesn't use his last vote._

* * *

><p>And in the quote category, you may vote for as many as you want – no limits!<br>In case that makes things complicated when listing them:  
>as you might have noticed, the quotes have been given a number.<br>That should make it easier to list your favourites.

* * *

><p>Also available on the PBA website are direct links to all the nominated works.<br>That should save you some searching on ffnet and elsewhere.

Address of the PBA website:  
><strong>www dot konarciq dot net  fanfiction / PapaBearAwards / index. html**  
>(take out the spaces and translate to internet speak)<br>_The website will be up soon!_

* * *

><p>And the good news:<br>in this round you are allowed to vote for your own work -  
>provided you <em>really<em> think it is the best...!

.

Your votes can be sent by email to **papabearawards at yahoo dot com**  
>or to Papa Bear Awards by ffnet PM.<br>Make sure you include your name and ffnet ID or AO3 ID (if you have one)!

Also available: a comprehensive PBA survey!  
>See next chapter for instructions.<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

**Closing date: Friday, April 3rd (Good Friday)  
>at 23.59:59 Hawaii Time!<strong>  
>.<p>

* * *

><p>The voting is open for everyone who enjoys Hogan's Heroes fanfiction.<p>

.

Every voter will receive a confirmation of the registration of his/her votes within about a week.

And remember: you're only allowed 1 set of votes!  
>If you've voted in the survey, don't send in your votes by email or PM as well – and vice versa!<p>

.

Winners in all categories will be announced after the votes are tabulated.  
>A Gold, Silver and Bronze award will be awarded for each category – if applicable.<p>

.

So read, enjoy and **vote**!

* * *

><p>.<p>

Remember:

**Closing date is Friday, April 3rd, 2015  
>(Good Friday)<strong>


	28. Chapter 29

.

Also available: a comprehensive PBA survey!

Web address:

**www. surveyplanet dot com / 54e0ebef55d320046c7b3b1e  
><strong>(take out the spaces and translate to internet speak)

* * *

><p>.<p>

So how does it work?

The survey starts with some basic identification info. It's the same stuff we ask you to include when you vote via email or PM:  
>name, ffnet ID and email address.<br>Only the two voting tabulators (konarciq and steffiundaxel) will have access to this information – no one else can see your answers in the survey. It's just as private as sending your votes by email to the papabearawards address.

Then the survey continues with the different categories – one page with a multiple choice question for each category.  
>Only the quotes are spread out over several pages – there were too many to fit on one page!<br>The survey follows the order of the voting template, to keep it easy for you.

Unfortunately, the website seems to have taken away the possibility of navigating back and forth through the questions – you can only go forward in the survey, not back! Still...  
><strong>Once you click 'submit' at the end, you can't change your votes anymore!<strong>  
>So make sure you've made up your mind about your choices <em>before<em> starting on the survey!

In each category you may cast 3 votes. Or 1, or 2, or none at all, as explained in the previous chapter.  
>It is no problem to skip a question in the survey.<br>Just click on 'next', and you'll go on to the next category.  
>Only the identification questions *must* be answered before you can continue.<p>

The final page asks you if you're really sure you don't want to change anything anymore,  
>and if you are, you click on 'submit' – and that's it: you've voted!<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Closing date for submitting your votes: <strong>

_**April 3rd, 2015**_


	29. Chapter 30

_._

_An easy template for voting.  
>If you like, you can simply copy this into an email or a Word document, complete it,<br>and send it to __**papabearawards at yahoo dot com**__!_  
><em>It can also be found on the PBA website – where there is no no-copy script!<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong>

**FFnet ID or AO3 ID: **

**Email address:**

.

**MY VOTES FOR THE PAPA BEAR AWARDS:**

**Best story of 2014:**

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

**Best snapshot:**

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

**Best short drama:**

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

**Best short comedy:**

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

**Best short general story:**

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

**Best long story:**

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

**Best story based on a challenge:**

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

**Best story based on a TV episode:**

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

**Most unique story:**

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

**Best poem, filk or songfic:**

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

**Best crossover story:**

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

**Best slash story:**

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

Title:  
>Author:<p>

**Best portrayal of a canon character:**

Character:  
>Story:<br>Author:

Character:  
>Story:<br>Author:

Character:  
>Story:<br>Author:

**Best portrayal of a canon extra:**

Character:  
>Story:<br>Author:

Character:  
>Story:<br>Author:

Character:  
>Story:<br>Author:

**Best portrayal of an original character:**

Character:  
>Story:<br>Author:

Character:  
>Story:<br>Author:

Character:  
>Story:<br>Author:

**Best portrayal of a visiting crossover character:**

Character:  
>Story:<br>Author:

**Best teaser:**

Teaser:  
>Story:<p>

Teaser:  
>Story:<p>

Teaser:  
>Story:<p>

**Best quote:**

_You may vote for as many as you want – so feel free to add more if necessary! If you want to do it the easy way, you can simply vote with the numbers listed with the quotes in chapter 21, and on the PBA website. _:-)

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

* * *

><p><strong>Closing date for sending in your votes: <strong>

_**April 3rd, 2015**_


End file.
